Calycanthus plant named ‘Burgundy Spice’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Calycanthus  plant named ‘Burgundy Spice’, characterized by its reddish-maroon colored flowers, dark greyish-purple colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, upright growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Calycanthus floridus.

Variety denomination: ‘Burgundy Spice’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofCalycanthus plant botanically known as Calycanthus floridus andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Burgundy Spice’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program duringAugust 2011 in Allentown, N.J. The objective of the breeding program wasthe development of Calycanthus cultivars having large leaves and darkcolored foliage.

The new Calycanthus cultivar is a naturally-occurring sport of aproprietary breeding selection, not coded, not patented, characterizedby its dark green to purple colored foliage. The new cultivar wasdiscovered as a side shoot and selected during August 2011 in acontrolled environment in Allentown, N.J.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings sinceAugust 2011 in Allentown, N.J. has demonstrated that the new cultivarreproduces true-to-type with all of the characteristics, as hereindescribed, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations ofsuch asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Burgundy Spice’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Calycanthus plant:

-   -   1. Reddish-maroon colored flowers;    -   2. Dark greyish-purple colored foliage; and    -   3. Moderately vigorous, upright growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in having foliage that is dark greyish-purple and stable incoloration.

Of the many commercially available Calycanthus cultivars, the mostsimilar in comparison to the new cultivar is ‘Athens’, not patented.However, in comparison, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of‘Athens’ in at least the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have a foliage color that is        different from plants of ‘Athens’; and    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have a tepal color that is        different from plants of ‘Athens’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Burgundy Spice’.The plants were approximately two-years old and grown for 10 months inthe landscape in West Grove, Pa.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Burgundy Spice’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual inflorescence of‘Burgundy Spice’

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined in June 2016 under naturallight conditions in West Grove, Pa.

The following descriptions and measurements describe 2-year old plantsproduced from cuttings from stock plants and grown outside in alandscape trial setting for 10 months in West Grove, Pa. During theoutdoor growth period the daily maximum temperatures ranged from 89° F.to 14° F. (31.7° C. to −10° C.) and the daily minimum temperaturesranged from 73° F. to 5° F. (22.8° C. to −15° C.). Measurements andnumerical values represent averages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Calycanthus floridus cultivar Burgundy    Spice.-   Parentage:    -   -   Parent.—Proprietary breeding selection, not coded, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Softwood.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 28 to 42 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 70 to 84            days.        -   Root description.—Fine to thick; white to brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 52 to 54 weeks from a            rooted cutting to finish in a 11.35 liter pot.        -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Multistemmed deciduous            shrub, moderately vigorous, upright growth habit.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 6b (−5° F.).        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 55.0 cm. Width: Approximately 50.0 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching. Pinching enhances            branching. Quantity of lateral branches per plant:            Approximately 10.        -   Trunk.—Diameter at soil level: Approximately 1.5 cm.            Diameter at midpoint: Approximately 6.0 mm. Texture:            Glabrous to scabrid. Color: N200B.        -   Branch.—Shape: Rounded. Strength: Strong. Arrangement:            Opposite. Aspect: Erect to about 45° from main stem. Length            to base of inflorescence: Approximately 9.0 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 2.0 mm. Length of central internode:            Approximately 3.8 cm. Texture of young stem: Glabrous to            tomentulose. Texture of mature stem: Woody. Color of young            stem: 177A. Color of mature stem: N200B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description.—Form: Simple. Arrangement: Opposite.            Fragrance: None detected.        -   Leaves.—Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Entire. Apex: Attenuate.            Base: Obtuse. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Length of mature            leaf: Approximately 7.8 cm. Width of mature leaf:            Approximately 4.5 cm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous to tomentulose. Color of upper surface of young and            mature foliage: Closest to N92A with venation of 144A or            172B in full sun. Color of lower surface of young and mature            foliage: Closest to N77 with venation of 59A.        -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 1.5 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture: Glabrous to tomentulose.            Color: 197A.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering season.—Flowers in late spring and sporadically            through mid-summer.        -   Lastingness of individual inflorescence on the            plant.—Approximately 15 to 20 days.-   Flower description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Single, flowers on current            season's growth, terminal and often on subtending axils;            tepals arranged in a whorl. Quantity per plant:            Approximately 12 flowers open at a given time. Fragrance:            Strongly fragrant; melon-like. Aspect: Erect.        -   Bud just before opening.—Shape: Globose. Length:            Approximately 1.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1.0 cm. Color:            187A.        -   Perianth.—Shape: Magnolia-like. Depth: Approximately 2.5 cm.            Diameter: Approximately 3.5 cm.        -   Tepals/bracts.—Quantity: Approximately 34. Shape: Linear.            Margin: Entire. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Length:            Approximately 1.5 cm. Width: Approximately 4.0 mm. Texture            of upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color of upper and            lower surfaces: 183A.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect. Length:            Approximately 1.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.0 mm.            Texture: Tomentulose. Color: N144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per            flower: 19. Anther shape: Oblong, adnate to hypanthium.            Anther length: Approximately 3.0 mm. Anther color: 161A.            Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 4C. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity per flower: 1. Pistil length: Approximately 3.0 mm.            Stigma shape: Rounded. Stigma color: 142C. Style length:            Approximately 2.0 mm. Style color: 142C. Ovary length:            Approximately 1.0 mm. Ovary color: 142B.        -   Fruit.—Diameter: Approximately 1.0 cm. Width: Approximately            1.5 cm. Color: 138A. Texture: Sparsely pubescence.-   Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Calycanthus has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calycanthus plantnamed ‘Burgundy Spice’, substantially as herein illustrated anddescribed.